A time delay relay protects your air conditioner’s compressor by preventing short-cycling, the rapid on-off pattern that wears the unit out. It holds the system off for three to five minutes after any thermostat change, so the compressor never restarts against high head pressure. For Parker, CO homes cooling through hot, dry summers, that pause adds years of reliable service.

It also spares households with curious kids who flip the thermostat back and forth: no matter how often the setting changes, the compressor stays protected. A time delay relay is an inexpensive add-on, but it should be sized and wired by a licensed technician to match your specific system. The details below show how that protection plays out over the life of your system.

Time Delay Relay

Let Your Air Conditioner Do “Highway Miles Instead of City Miles”

Air Conditioner Unit

By stopping your air conditioning unit from going on and off (short-cycling) so much, a time delay relay keeps it from wearing out prematurely. A time delay relay is also the perfect accessory for families that have children who like to play with the thermostat. No matter how often you change the setting on the heat/cool switch or the fan on/auto switch, you can’t burn out your compressor. This is because the time delay relay won’t turn your system on for 3-5 minutes after the last thermostat adjustment has been made.